Questionable ethics at a local Acura service dept (1 Viewer)

[Bayouboy]

This is just a heads up for Acura folks that rely on auto care professionals for honest recommendations involving vehicles.An experience I had late last year will give you a reason to look closely at a certain South Louisiana Acura dealership near Tiger stadium and all auto care professionals alike.
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The story goes like this&#8230;.In November of 2014, my wife and I were in the market for a new vehicle and we decided to go test drive the Acura MDX.We own a 2006 Acura TL and there was a promotion going on for a 21 point inspection and a free car wash.Why not get a free car wash while going on a test drive!?So that&#8217;s what we did&#8230;.I told the service advisor we would be test driving an MDX while the car is washed (and tested).We strolled through the lot a while and ended up talking with a nice sales lady.She told us about the vehicle and we decided to go for a test drive.While passing through the lobby, the service advisor stopped me with two filthy filters and suggested I replace both of them.One was an A/C filter of some sort and the other the regular air filter.I was sort of caught off-guard and told him to take care of it without much hesitation&#8230;..as both filters were in deplorable condition.As we walked to our test drive vehicle, it struck me that my air filter was replaced that summer&#8230;..I did it myself (changing an air filter is not easy on an Acura TL).So as we are test driving the vehicle I&#8217;m thinking about purchasing, all that&#8217;s going through my head is this guy is running a scam on me.It is impossible for an air filter changed in the May/June timeframe to turn black, with hair and leaves stuck to it&#8230;.at least not the driving we do with the car!Upon return, I confronted the service person with my thoughts on the matter.He gave me the blank stare and said that&#8217;s the filters he was handed by the mechanics in the back.I asked to speak to the service manager and I was told he was not at the dealership on that day.I asked to speak to someone about it and the guy got on his cell phone to call someone.I demanded to speak to someone in person, but no one was available.The service person instead gave me the new air filter/labor for free.Since we were pressed for time, we left the dealership without speaking to a manager.
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The entire incident really ate at me.I couldn&#8217;t let it go.If this were my wife or any other lady, they never would have questioned it.Hell, if I hadn&#8217;t changed the filter myself 6 months earlier, I probably would have been duped!An &#8220;upper class&#8221; dealership like this is resorting to scams to turn a profit?!!!I called that evening when I got home to speak to the general manager.No dice, but left a message.Next day, no return call.I called again on the Monday and finally got to speak to someone after leaving another message.I told the general manager the whole story (supposedly, he was new to the dealership).He thanked me for the info and said he would look into it.I was so incensed, I called and reported the incident to Acura headquarters.Everyone was very nice and apologized about the incident.

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Well, two months later, I haven&#8217;t heard peep.Nothing.Like it didn&#8217;t happen.Which is one reason I decided to post this&#8230;..at least I can make people aware that this type of shady behavior can happen anywhere, not just the local mechanic shop.
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I know service techs make (some) money on commissions just like regular sales folks, so I&#8217;m not all that surprised it&#8217;s going on.I just wonder just how often this takes place.How much bogus crap they force on you?You would think these scam artists would target women and old folks though&#8230;..why risk it on someone that might be knowledgeable?It&#8217;s just too risky&#8230;especially if your &#8220;target&#8221; is considering forking over tens of thousands of dollars on a new vehicle at your dealership.

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The real question is this&#8230;.is this a rogue service advisor or is this regular bidness????<O</O

 

[staphory]

Sadly, it's regular business at some dealerships. I've seen it happen at various places over the last 10 years... I saw a service department give a young lady a quote of $280 to change headlight bulbs on an Altima. It's not easy but its not that hard!

 

[was437]

And it is definitely not specific to the service department. MANY dealerships are ran this way in all departments.

 

[BHM]

You drive an Acura you yuppie, you should not have the knowledge to question the repairs.


Sadly, this is common place at too many dealerships and repair shops. Think about it, do you think they give you a 21 point inspection for free just because they love and care about you?You had the knowledge and ability to replace your own air filter. Just a guess but not many Acura owners out there changing their own filters. 99% of the owners just approve the work.

Last week I was getting an oil change at a 10 minute lube shop. Lady walks in and asks for an oil change and then asks them to check the brakes because "sometimes it just feels like it does not want to stop". 20 bucks says she was hit with a full brake job whether it needed it or not.

The sad part is that there are so many crooks out there that it is hard to trust any of them.

 

[bigdaddysaints]

I was sent a coupon from Leblanc Nissan (regularly do) where I bought my Rogue. It was for an oil change with tire rotation for $21.99. Usually when I get those, I take it in on a Saturday. Well, one time while I was working a weekend, I had my wife bring it in. I get home and she tells me that they changed the air filter and the windshield wipers. At first, I was thinking good, saved me a few minutes. Then I asked her how much they charged her. Yea, that would be an additional $100. Needless to say, I was very ticked off about that, And will never bring my vehicle back to the dealership for any non warranty work.. $100 for windshield wipers and an air filter replacement? That my friend, is highway robbery..

 

[GW93]

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[CapitalCitySaint]

I have an Acura as well. The last time I took it in back in October for maintenance, the service guy brought me an estimate with a list of all the things he was suggesting. It would have been a $200 maintenance bill. After he had just told me that my car is in really great condition. (It should be. I take it in for maintenance like clockwork). Needless to say I was like "no way. Change the oil & rotate my tires, I don't have money for your $100 air filter."
His attitude changed after that.

Times like those I wish I had a knowledgable husband to take care of car stuff.

 

[bclemms]

Acura's service department is only half as criminal as the parts department.

Acura's windshields for new vehicles are often $2,000+ when the vehicle is brand new and there are no OEM replacements available. After the replacements come out that price drops 1000's of a %.

Accidentally lose a spring or bearing in the spring loaded rear view mirror that has to be removed to change the windshield? No Problem, just get a new rear view mirror from the Acura dealership for $900. Yes, this mirror bracket was designed with the sole intent of exploding into a hundred tiny pieces with intent on the back end of financial rape.

I don't call that luxury.

At least the German dealerships use lube.

 

[Ti Rider]

It isn't just Acura. I took my 2004 Toyota Sequoia in to the local Toyota dealership for the airbag recall. They finally got the replacement airbags so they could replace them instead of just disconnecting them. So I drop it off and was told to check back in two hours. I momentarily considered telling the dealer not to open the hood or touch anything besides the airbag but didn't....my mistake. You'd think I would've learned from multiple bad dealership experiences in the past.

I've fixed my own cars for years - brake jobs, general service, adjusting valves, replacing axles, etc. So I know what's going on with my vehicles - the only thing the Sequoia is going to need is brake pads in the next 10,000 miles and new front rotors (because of it's weight the thing warps front rotors almost instantly). But was presented with a "service estimate" of $2,748.93. The estimate contained things like "leaking differential" (the exterior was dry as a bone, they had to have squirted oil on it), leaking valve covers, a full brake job, transmission service needed because the fluid was "brown" (pure bullcrap this was just done and it's cherry red).

The final kicker was "severely leaking radiator". Yes, it had a small leak. Every 6,000 miles or so the reservoir needed to be topped off but that was it. Reading through the "service estimate" there was a small line stating "failed pressure test". So this shop ape put a pressure tester on my radiator, pumped it to full load (equivalent to the heat of towing a huge trailer uphill at highway speeds in the summer, I don't tow anything with this vehicle) and turned an inconsequential leak into a fully blown radiator. Now I have put a half gallon of water into it every trip. Yesterday I got a new radiator (for less than half of the $433 I was quoted at the dealer, just for the part) as soon as it stops raining I'll put it in.

It's crap like that makes me avoid dealers like they have ebola.

 

[mean machine]

My mom takes her Honda to the dealership for all of its maintenance. I have always figured that she is getting raped by over-maintenance, but I live over three hours away, so I can't do it myself.

Late 1994, I left my wife's Beretta at a dealership in NOLA for a check engine light. When I called later, they gave me a $3,000 estimate. Apparently, they checked it from top to bottom and bumper to bumper and came up with a whole list of things. In their defense, they were fairly legit. I fixed everything myself except for the oil pan gasket. The leak was just too small to worry with.

A few months later, it was totaled by the flood in May 1995.

 

[COsaintsfan]

Mini dealer convinced my mother they needed to take the front bumper of her car off to check the timing. 3 hours worth of labor at over a 100 dollars an hour for no reason.

Um, I'm pretty sure you plug in the connector and use a software program these days to do that.

She didn't call me first, I have no idea why.

 

[LOONEY]

shops in different areas charge different rates for labor ,so make sure to call different shops in other areas to check on the amount they charge for labor , you may have to drive 20 -30 mins but you can save 25-30$ per hour in labor .

 

[ld_in_sc]

Years ago i had a dealer mechanic tell me my Isuzu wasn't shifting out of first gear because my battery was low. I told him the battery was only necessary to start the engine. He told me that was the explanation in the manual for the code they found. I asked him to show me that book. He never did. I told him there was no way I was paying $70+ diagnostics for a bogus diagnosis, and certainly was not going to have him replace the battery. He said I had to, I said I didn't and asked to speak to the manager. I followed that little fella all over the place. Finally, he went into the manager's office, closed the door, came out and tore up the bill.

I drove down the street and traded in the vehicle

I'm female

 

[antipop]

They change my headlight fluid every time i go in. It's pretty expensive but who has the time for that?

 

[dtc]

OP is being quite charitable to phrase it as "questionable" and to restrict his assertions against only the one he visited.

Personally, I think they're all a bunch of trained pit vipers set out only to suck every bit of money they can from you in any immoral, unethical or questionable way possible.

Honestly, if you go in with a real problem they treat you great. It's when you go for an oil change that they try to charge $540 to change the 14$ cabin air filter or sell you a new battery because the date on your sticker isn't scratched off.